Knitting machine



A. E. STEWART KNITTING MACHINE March 12, 1935.

I Filed Feb. 16, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l March 12, 1935. A. E. STEWART I KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1e, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' A 9 /f )ATTORNEYA March l2, 1935. A. E. STEWART 1,994,041

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 16A, 1952 w a'. vf@ s; J\ l y A- y f l ATTQRNEY.

y4 sheets-sheet 5 March 12, 1935. A. E. STEWART l 1,994,041

KNITTING MACHINE K Filed Feb. 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 12, 1935 UNITED lSTATES t l KNI'TTING MACHINE v n Albert E. stewart, Franklin, N. 11.,.as`sigxiorto' Acme Knitting Machine & NerdleCompamf,l l Franklin, N. H.,A a corporation of New Hempshire Application February-16,1932, sei-latino. 593,266 A solaimsj (c1. se-134i This invention relates to knitting rmachinesfof the circular or rotary type. It is more especially 'concerned-With the mechanisms lfor controlling the delivery of yarn or thread tothe needles of the machine.

In knitting hosiery it frequently is desirable to knit the leg portion of a stocking with silk orl some other ne yarn or thread and to knit other por- 'tions ofthe stocking, particularly the heel and toe and sometimes, also, the entire foot andthe top, `with a more serviceable yarn, such as cotton. This requires a change of threads which must be effected without interrupting the operation of the machine. In the common hosiery knitting machines of the rotary type thread feeding fingers associated with suitable clamping and cutting mechanism are located insidethe circle of needles andy are operated automatically to produce the thread changing action at the desired points in the cycle of operation of the machine. In some machines, however, as,.for example, in that shown in my copending application Serial No, 405,949, led November 9', A1929, such an arrangement cannot be used for'the reason that the space inside the circle of needles is occupied by other mechanism. `It therefore becomes necessary to locate lthe thread cutting and clamping devices and the vthread guiding ngers outside the circle of needles and to provide means for operating them automatically. To devise a mechanism for satisfying these requirements constitutes the chief object ofthe present invention. 1 j

The nature of the invention will be 'readily understood from the following descriptionwhen readin connectionl with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out Ain the appended claims.

In the drawings, A t Y Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a rotary knitting machine equipped'with thread handling mechanism embodying featuresv of this invention; v

Fig. 2 is a plan view of those parts ofthe mechanism shown in Fig. 1 with lwhich vthe present invention is more especially concerned;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view of parts of' the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of the thread cutting and clamping device;

Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view through the latch ring at a point adjacent to the thread vcutting and clamping device;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal, sectional view approximately on the line 6 6, Fig. 3; and- Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views, partly in section, illustrating certain of the steps in producing the thread changing operation.

For purposes of illustrationv the invention is herein shown as embodied in a hosiery knitting machne of the type shown in my pending application abovel designated.` While the Vinvention is equally applicable to machines of the stationary 4andirevolving needle cylinder types, one being" an Vequivalent ofthe other so far as this invention is concerned, the' particular machine illustrated in thel drawings is ofthe latter type t and vincludes an upright needle fcylinder carry- -ing av series of vertically disposed latch needles 2. The machine alsojincludes the usual sinkers, cams, and `other operating instrumentalities for actuating the needles to cause them to knit a vstocking automatically in the'customary manner.

`Located in cooperative relationship to the needles is alatch ring 4 carried by an extension or support which is mounted to swing on the pivot pin'5 ,Figs. 1 and, in' a manner similar to that used in prior machines. The present latch ring, however, is made insections, as best shown in Fig. 5, these sections including'an outer ring a vand an inner ring or liner b. The two sections edge of the member 8 being bevelled and Sharm' ened, as yshown in Fig. y6, to 'form a cutter. The members 7 andare supported betweenthe 'two' sections a and b o1' the ring and theyjare clamped to thersection by by means of the bolt jor screw 10.v llfhese parts thus are positioned closely adjacent to, but outside of, the circle of needles, and they preferably are located entirely within thellateralI dimensions or width of' the ring 4. n

In theparticular machine shown two tubular thread guides 12 and 14, respectively, are arranged to guide the thread or yarn to the `needles 2, ralthough any other convenient number of thread guides may be used. These guides are so mountedthat their forward ends may occupy approximately the samev operative position for the `purpose of feeding thread to the needles, as shown, for example, inv Figs. 3 and 7. Normally the needles will take thread from one guide only and the end of the idle thread will be heldin the clamp 6-'7-8, as shown in Fig. '7, with the yotlfier end running to theidle guide which at this time will be' approximately in the position in whichfthe guide 12 is shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 7 'assumes that the machinev has been knitting with the thread .r fed through the guide 12 and that this thread is beingreplaced by the lthread. y

fed through the guide 14. It shows the thread guide 14 at approximately the instant at which it arrives in its operative position, and illustrates the guide 12 immediately after it has begun to swing toward the left, Fig. 7, away from its operative position. At this instant the end of the thread y is held in the clamp 6-7-8, and the needles 2 have just begun to take it and knit it into the fabric. Als0,'at vsubstantially this instant the ring sectionlcbeginsto move in a clockwise direction, Fig. 7, and continues until the blade 6 has been carried over the thread :1: into approximately the position in which` it is shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 4 shows the blade making this movement with the thread a: sliding under the rounded end of Ithe blade. As the blade crosses the thread the latter snaps upwardly into a position in front of thestraight edge of the blade. An instant after this has occurred the ring c is released and snaps.,quickly back into its former position, as shown in Fig. 7, thus carrying a bight of the thread a: with it, and clamping this thread between the members 7 and 8 and cutting the thread at the edge of the latter member, as shown in Fig. 6. .1

The action just described `requires an oscillating movement of the ring section c and for this purpose a link 16 is pivotally connected to the ring section at 17, the opposite end of this link being guided on an arm 18 mounted on the pivot stud 20to swing ina horizontal plane. A coiled spring 21 acts on thelink 16. to hold the ring c normally `in the .position shown in Figs. 2 and 7 where the blade 6 lies between its cooperating clamping members 7 and 8. The link may, however, be movedforward against the action of the spring 21 by means of a cam 22, Fig. 3, acting through abell crank lever 23 and also through an arm 24 pivoted to the upper end of said lever. This cam is secured faston,v the drum shaft 25 of the `machineshown in my prior application above designated, and itis so connected with the pattern mechanism of the machine that it makes one complete revolution during the knitting of each stocking. Normally the shaft 25 is stationary butl it is given, a rotative movement through a predetermined angle at certain definite times in the cycle of operations of the machine. When one of the lugs of the cam 22 acts on the lower rounded end of the lever 23 it swings the upper end of this lever toward the left, Fig. 3, and operates through the arm 18 previously referred to, to move, the link 16 forward, thus rotating, the ring section c far enough to carry the blade 6 around the circle of needles into approximately theposition 'shown in Fig. 8. The lower end of the lever 23 drops quickly olf the rearward edge of the lug on the cam 22, thus permitting thev relatively strong spring 21 to return the parts quickly to the positions in which they are shown in' Figs. 3 and 7. The pivoted arm 24 normally rests on the pin .26, Fig. 3, and thus is held in its operative posiso that they can be swung horizontally into and out of substantiallyl the same operative position. Both thread guidesA are mounted outside the circle of needles, and when either one of them is swung toward the clamping and cutting device 6-7-8 it swings its thread away' from the circle of needles. An instant thereafter the thread is caught, clamped and cut in the manner above described and its endis'held in the clamp. When this guide is again swung back into its operative position it presents its thread in a line approximately tangential to the circle of needles but intersecting the path of movement of these needles, preferably cutting vsaid path at a point where the needles are descending to the knitting point. Substantially simultaneously with this movement of one guide into operativeposition the other is moved out of said position and its thread is caught, clamped and cut in the device 6-7-8. For a brief instant, therefore, both sets of threads may be taken simultaneously by the needles, and both thread guides can obviously be held intheir, operative positions simultaneously, if desired, so

that the knitting operation will proceed with both threads. p

For the purpose of operating the levers 27 and 28 in the manner above described, their rearward ends are cut diagonally, as shown -in Figs. 3, 7 and 8, and two arms 3l and 32, Fig.

3, both fulcrumed at I33 are arranged to engage, respectively, with said bevelled or cam shaped ends of the levers 27 and 28. Springs 34 and 35 act on said levers to hold them normally out of engagement with the levers 27 and 28, and when either lever is not so engaged it will be held in its inoperative position by means of springs 36 and 37, respectively, Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3, a cam follower 38 is mounted to swing on the pivot pin 33 immediately beside the arm 31 and Y' bears against the periphery of a cam 40 secured fast on the drum shaft 25. This follower has a set screw 41 threaded therethrough and bearing against the back edge of the arm 31. The portions of the follower through which the screw 41 is threaded are split and the split sections may be sprung toward each other by means of another screw 42 in order to clamp the screw 41 in its adjusted position. A similar cam follower 43 is associated with the arm 32 in like manner l to operate it, the latter follower bearing on the surface of the cam 44 which also is secured on the drum shaft 25.

With this arrangement it will be evident that either thread guide 12 or 14 may be held in its operative position during any desired portion 4of the cycle of operations of the machine and may be moved out of said position at any desired point in said cycle. In the particular construction shown a silk thread may be fed through the guide 14 and a cotton thread through the guide 12, the cam arrangement being such that the leg of the stocking will be knit of silk and the heel, toe and advanced toe of cotton, but obviously this arrangement may be varied, as desired.

It should be observed that the thread ring 4 is slotted or cut away, as shown at 45, Figs. 1 and 3, to permit the free movement of the thread through the ring at points between the clamping and cutting device and the thread guides. Also, that the guides 12 and 14 are adjustably mounted on their' respective levers 27 and 28, the upper guide 14 being held in an inclined position, as best shown in Fig. 3, so that the threads carried by both guides can be presented to the needles in approximately the same line. Frequently it is desirable to feed two threads simultaneously to the needles in plating relationship for the purpose of making the leg portion of the stocking, and for this reason the lever 28 is equipped with a second thread guide 13 located immediately beside and parallel to the guide 14 so that the two body threads may be controlled by the one lever and the cam which operates it.

The invention thus provides a very simple thread controlling mechanism which is so mounted that it leaves the entire spaceinside the circle of needles free for the operation of other mechanism. The location of the thread cutting and clamping device within the latch ring is of advantage in providing a very compact arrangement, saving space, and permitting the support of this device close to the knitting point, while at the same time avoiding any possibility of interfering with other mechanisms of the machine. This is of particular advantage when another lthread cuttingy and clamping device 50, Fig. 1, is located very close to the knitting point for the purpose of cutting and holding the reinforcing thread which often is knit into the goods atfcertain spe'ciedjpoints, this particular arrangement being like that shown in a pending application recently led by me. In the present machine the thread is presented to the needles and is moved out of feeding position in a manner similar to that in the machine of the application just mentioned. Any claims on subject matter common to the'two applications, however, are presented in the earlier case.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied'in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as 'new is: y

1. In a thread changing mechanism for circular knitting machines, the combination of a thread clamping and cutting device, means for supporting said device closely adjacent to but outside of the circle of needles, said device including a member mounted for movement backward and forward in a path approximately parallel to the circle of needles and crossing the thread running to the needles, and mechanism for operating said member to cause it to engage said thread while it is held by the needles.

2. In a knitting machine including a circular series of needles and a latch ring supported in cooperative relationship to said needles, the combination of a thread kclamping device including a movable member and a pair of relatively stationary parts mounted on the latch ring between which said movable member enters to grip the thread, and mechanism for operating said member to cause it to cross the thread running to the needles and thereafter to move in a different direction to carry said thread between said relatively stationary parts.

3. In a knitting machine including a circular series of needles and a latch ring supported in cooperative relationship to said needles, the combination of a thread clamping device including a movable member, means supporting said member for reciprocating movement in an arcuate path concentric with said ring and closely adjacent to the circle of needles, and means for operating said movable member.

4. In a knitting machine including a circular series of needles and a latch ring supported in cooperative relationship to said needles, the combination of a thread clamping device including a movable member, means for supporting said member on said ring for reciprocating movement in an arcuate path concentric with said ring and closely outside the circle of needles, another thread engaging member cooperating with said movable member, and means for operating said movable member.

5. In a knitting machine including a circular series of needles and a latch ring supported in cooperative relationship to Said needles, the combination of a thread clamping device including a movable member, a support f or said member mounted in a groove in said latch ring for reciprocating movement relatively to said ring, and mechanism for moving said support in said groove to operate said member.

, 6. In a knitting machine including a circular series of needles and a latch ring supported .in cooperative relationship to said needles, the combination of a thread clamping device including a movable member,`a support for said member mounted in a groove in said latch ring for reciprocating movement to carry said member across the thread running to said needles, and means for acting through said support to operate said member to cause it to engage said thread.

7. In a knitting machine including a circular series of needles and a latch ring supported in cooperative relationship to said needles, the combination of a thread clamping device including a movable member, a support for said member mounted in a groove in said latch ring for reciprocating movement, and means for guiding a knitting thread across the path of movement of said movable member preparatory to being clamped between said members.

8. In a knitting machine including a circular series of needles and a latch ring supported in cooperative relationship to said needles, the

combination of a thread clamping device includ- -ing a movable member and two relatively stationary members cooperating with it, means for supporting said relatively stationary members substantially within the laterally dimensional limits of said latch ring, and mechanism for operating said movable memberI to cause it to engage the thread and carry it between said relatively stationary parts.

9. In a thread changing mechanism for circular knitting machines, the combination of a thread clamping and cutting device, means outf side the circle of needles for supporting said device closely adjacent to said circle of needles, a plurality of thread guides arranged to cooperate with said device to present threads to said needles in approximately a tangential relationship to the circle of needles, means for supporting said thread guides for movement to carry their threads toward and from said circle of needles, means under `the control of the pattern mechanism of the machine for moving said thread guides into and out of their operative positions, said cutting land clamping device including a member movable backwardly across one of said threads when the thread is swung away from said circle of needles and thereafter movable forwardly into cooperative relationship to another part of said device to engage and clamp the thread, and mechanism for operating said movable member in timed relationship tothe movements of said thread guides.

ALBERT E. STEWART. 

